Can opener



Nov, 9, 1965 JEPSON ETAL CAN OPENER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19 1962INVENTORSi Dworb Nov. 9, 1965 l. JEPSON ETAL 3,216,108

CAN OPENER Filed Sept. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS:

d BJWEM@ Nov. 9, 1965 JEPSON ETAL CAN OPENER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledSept. 19, 1962 INVENTORS:

Nov. 9, 1965 I. JEPSON ETAL 3,216,108

CAN OPENER Filed Sept. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent3,216,108 CAN OPENER Ivar Jepson and Sophocles .l. Dokos, Gal; Park, and

Sigmund H. Bielalr, Downers Grove, Ill.., assignors to SunbeamCorporation, Chicago, Ill, a corporation of Blinois Filed Sept. 19,1962, Ser. No. 224,634 17 Claims. (Cl. 30- 4) This invention relatesgenerally to can openers and more particularly to improvements in poweroperated can openers of the type in which the can cutter does not extendinto the interior of the can during the cutting operation.

In general, food containing cans are opened by means of can openersutilizing a cutting blade which is inserted through the cover or thewall of the can. The can is then rotated relative to the cutting bladeto sever and remove the cover from the can. In that the cutter extendsinto the interior of the can, it invariably engages the contents of thecan. As a consequence, the cutter becomes caked and encrusted with foodswhich remain thereon and tend to cause a very unsanitary condition.

This unsanitary condition of the can cutter may be minimized in a homethrough the use of easily removable cutters which may be washed atfrequent intervals. In commercial situations including vending machines,the problem of maintaining the can cutter in a sanitary conditionpresents an insurmountable problem with most present day can openers. Itwould be desirable, therefore, to provide a can opener in which the cancutter removes the cover of the can without piercing the containerportion within which the food is received.

There have been attempts in the past at opening cans without using acutter which would pierce the can and extend into the food receivingportion. Some of these attempts have involved unrolling or unfolding theend seam of the can. in effect, this approach merely reverses theassembly process in disengaging the cover from the cylindrical side wallof the can. There are many problems associated with this approach, theprincipal one being that a substantial amount of power is required tobreak and unbend the cemented end seam of the can. In addition, thecomplexity of the folded flanges of the cover and side wall making upthe end seam require a substantial amount of mechanism to complete theunfolding of these flanges.

Attempts have also been made to design can openers in which the cover issevered from the can by cutting the end seam of the can. One of theproblems inherent in this approach is that it is difficult to remove thecover even after a portion or all of the seam has been severed. If thecut is made on the outside diameter of the end seam, the cover still hasa channel shaped periphery which is received on the end of thecylindrical wall portion. The cemented material associated with the endseam in addition to the frictional engagement of the parts retains thecut cover so firmly that it is usually impossible to remove by hand.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provideimproved method and apparatus for opening cans utilizing a cutter whichsevers the cover from the can without the cutter entering into the foodcontaining portion of the can.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved can opener in which the cover is re moved from a can bysevering the end seam along the inside diameter thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedcutter for a can opener which is adapted to sever the cover from a canabove the top of the cylindrical wall portion of the can.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro- 3,216,1d8Patented Nov. 9, I965 ice vide an improved can opener in which the endseam of a can is severed along the inside diameter thereof and the endseam is bent outwardly to facilitate removal of the can cover from thecan.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmethod of opening cans in which the end seam of the can is severed alongthe inner diameter thereof and bent outwardly to facilitate removal ofthe can cover.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds and the features ofnovelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisspecification.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric can opener embodying thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the canopener shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 assumingthat FIG. 2 shows the complete structure and showing the operating leverin the position for loading a can into the device;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of FIG. 4showing the operating lever in the operating or cutting position ratherthan in the can loading position as it is in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4 assuming thatFIG. 4 shows the complete structure;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 5 assuming thatFIG. 5 shows the complete structure;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along line 88 ofFIG. 6 assuming that FIG. 6 shows the complete structure;

FIG. 9 is a greatly enlarged sectional View showing the relativepositions of the can cutting wheel, the can driving wheel and the endseam of the can with the parts in the position for loading the can;

FIG. 10 is another greatly enlarged vertical sectional view similar toFIG. 9 showing the action of the cutting wheel as it pierces the endseam of the can;

FIG. 11 is another greatly enlarged vertical sectional view similar toFIG. 9 and FIG. 10 showing the cutting wheel and the can driving wheelin their operative positions with respect to the end seam of the can asthe cover is severed therefrom; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the carrier which supports the canopener cutter.

The can opener of the instant invention is provided with a cutter wheelmounted for rotation about a vertical axis and movable horizontally intocutting engagement with the inside diameter of the end seam of a can.The cutter is provided with means to space its cutting edge slightlybelow the top of the end seam and to bend the end seam of the canoutwardly to permit easy removal of the severed cover of the can.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there isshown a power operated can opener generally designated by referencenumeral 20. The can opener 20 is provided with a housing 21 which issupported on a base 22. The housing 21 includes a motor enclosingportion 23 and a head portion 24 Within which the reduction gearing andthe other mechanism of the can opener are received. Enclosed within theportion 23 of the housing 21 is a suitable electric motor 25 which maybe the same as the one disclosed in copending Jepson 3 applicationSerial No. 812,928, filed May 13, 1959, now Patent No. 3,097,318, andassigned to the same assignee as the instant application. The motorincludes a field 26 surrounding an armature 27.

The housing 21 is made up of a base member 28 which supports the motor25 and a cover portion 29 which cooperates with the base portion 28 toform the enclosure within which the motor 25 and the can openermechanism are received. As may best be seen in FIGURES 1 and 4, thecover portion 29 is a vertically extending box-like member having arearwardly faced opening which is closed by the base member 28. Thecover portion 29 serves primarily a decorative function and may,therefore, be made of a plastic material while base member 28 carriesall the functional elements of the can opener and is preferably analuminum casting. As is best shown in FIG. 4, the cover portion isassembled to the housing base 22 by means of vertically extending bolts30 and the base member 28 is secured to the cover portion 29 by severalscrews 31, one of which is shown.

The armature 27 is supported by a vertically extending armature shaft 32which is journaled in bearings 33 mounted on the base member 28. Theupper end of the armature shaft 32 is formed with a helical spur gear 34which drivingly engages reduction gearing generally designated byreference numeral 35. The base member 28 has an integrally cast wall 28awhich supports the shafts associated with the reduction gearing 35.

At the output of the reduction gearing 35 there is a large output gear36 which is secured to an output shaft 38. The output shaft 38 isjournaled in an elongated boss 40 which is formed integrally with thewall 28a of the base member 28. At the lower end of the output shaft 38there is mounted a can driving or rotating wheel 42. Positioned betweenthe output gear 36 and the mounting boss 40 for the output shaft 38 area series of conical washers 44 which are made of a spring material so asto be compressible and permit limited axial movement downwardly of theoutput shaft 38 and the can driving wheel 42 for reasons which will beexplained in greater detail below.

Spaced closely adjacent the can driving wheel 42, there is mounted a cancutter or cutting wheel 46. To support the can cutting wheel 46 forhorizontal movement toward and away from the can driving wheel 42, aslidable carrier 48 is mounted within the housing 21. The carrier 48,which is shown separately in FIG. 12, is a generally U-shaped memberhaving horizontally extending legs 58 which are provided at theirrearwardly extending free ends with rectangular openings 51. At thebight portion of the carrier 48 there is a horizontal cutter supportingportion 52. The cutter supporting portion 52 is formed with a taped hole53 which threadedly receives a cutter supporting screw 54 on which thecutter 46 is rotatably mounted.

As may best be seen in FIGURE 5, the wall 28a is provided with anopening 2811 through which the supporting portion 52 of the carrier 48extends thereby projecting the cutting Wheel 46 downwardly from the head24, The opening 28b is of sufficient size to permit limited horizontalmovement of the carrier 48 with respect to the housing 21. The carrier48 is supported with the legs thereof slidably engaging the supportingwall 28a. To guide the carrier for rectilinear movement on the wall2801, there are guide bosses 28c formed on either side thereof and anintegral vertical flange 28d on the inside thereof as may best be seenin FIGURE 7. The bosses 280 also serve to support a guide plate 55 onthe top thereof. Suitable assembly screws 56 retain the guide plate 55in position. As is evident from FIGURE 6, the guide plate is of U-shapedconfiguration so as to retain the carrier 48 in position while being cutaway in the center thereof for clearance in the area of the reductiongearing 35.

To control the operation of the can opener 20, there is provided a bailtype or U-shaped operating handle 60 which is formed with a handle gripportion 62 at the bight thereof and supporting legs 64. The free ends ofthe legs 64 are formed with inwardly directed bosses 66 which journalthe operating lever 60 for rotation with respect to the can opener 28.While the mounting bosses 66 are supported for rotary movement by thebase member 28 and more specifically, the supporting wall 28a, means areincluded in the mounting to permit limited horizontal movement of theoperating handle pivot for reasons which will be explained in greaterdetail below.

As may best be seen in enlarged fragmentary section view in FIGURE 8,the wall 28a is formed with two pockets 28e within which the mountingbosses 66, biasing springs 68 and a force-applying pad 70 are received.Each spring 68 engages the front part of a pocket 28c urging pad 78rearwardly into engagement with mounting boss 66. Pad 78 is providedwith a cylindrical projection 76a which extends into the helix of thespring 68 to assure proper engagement between the spring 68 and the pad70. The face of pad '70 which engages boss 66 is provided with acylindrical surface having a web 7012 projecting therefrom. Web 70b isreceived between two spaced cylindrical portions 66a formed on eachmounting boss 66.

The purpose of web 7% is to locate and prevent axial displacement of pad'78 with respect to handle mounting bosses 66. To prevent displacementof the handle or lever 69 with respect to the base member 28 on which itis mounted, there is provided in each of the pockets 28c a smallupstanding projection 28 which is positioned below each mounting boss 66and between the cylindrical portions 66a.

To interconnect the operating lever 60 with the carrier 48, the bosses66 of the operating lever 60 are provided with eccentrically positionedinwardly directed pins 72. The pins 72 comprise steel rods which arecast integrally with the aluminum operating lever 68. Because of theamount of eccentricity in the mounting of the pins 72, they are exposedin the area between the cylindrical portions 66a on the mounting bosses66. The degree of exposure of pin 72 in the area between the cylindricalportions 66a is evident from FIGURE 8 which is a sectional view takenthrough boss 66 of the operating lever 60. It was mentioned above thatprojection 28 between the cylindrical portions 66a serves to preventaxial displacement of mounting boss 66. The projection 28 also serves asa stop to limit rotation of the operating handle 60 in its verticalposition as is best shown in FIGURE 8.

Before turning to the details of the connection between the operatinghandle 68 and the carrier 48, it should be noted that the pocket 282within which the handle mounting bosses 66 are received, is a channelshaped recess closed at the top by the guide plate 55 and at its innerside by the leg 50 of the carrier 48 with the opening 51 exposedthereto. Received within the opening 51 and positioned between the endof the mounting boss 66 and the vertical wall flange 28d is a sinterediron bearing slide 74. The bearing slide 74 is formed with a centrallypositioned hole 75 which receives the eccentric pin 72. As the operatinghandle 60 is rotated from its vertical position forwardly and downwardlyabout the mounting bosses 66, the eccentric pins 72 are moved rearwardlyand upwardly. Each bearing slide 74 is provided with ample clearance inrectangular opening 51 to move vertically while the operating handlemoves through its range of movement. The rearward movement of the pins72, however, cause the carrier 48 to be drawn rearwardly, thereby movingthe cutting wheel 46 into overlapping relation with the can drivingwheel 42.

The U-shaped handle 66 with its mounting at the rear of the housing 21provides a very convenient, compact and efiicient arrangement foroperating the carrier and its associated cutting wheel 46. Because ofthe substantial force which must be exerted on the carrier and cuttingwheel 46, a lever arm of reasonable length is required to maintain theforce to be applied at the grip 62 at a reasonable level. The bail typehandle mounted at the rear provides a lever of reasonable length withoutsacrificing compactness. With the gripping portion 62 close to the head,force may easily be applied to the handle 60 without unbalancing the canopener 26.

Reference will now be made to FIGURES 9, l0 and 11 to describe theconfiguration of the driving wheel 42 and the cutting wheel 46 and themanner in which they cooperate to sever the lid of the can. FIGURES 9,l0 and 11 in addition to showing the driving wheel 42 and cutting wheel46, portray a sectional view of a portion of a can 76. The can 76includes a cylindrical side wall 77 and a circular top 78. To unite thecylindrical side wall 77 with the top 78, a plurality of interleavingvertical flanges are formed and cemented to provide a liquid tight seambetween the two parts of the can as shown in FIG- URE 9. This junctionbetween the two parts of the can is commonly known as the end seam. Ashas been indicated above, the can opener 29 operates on the end seam inopening the can rather than piercing the body portion of the can withinwhich the food is contained.

The can driving wheel 42 is generally cylindrical in configuration,having an outer diameter 42a against which the side of the can 77 abuts.Immediately above the portion 42a there is an upwardly facing annularshoulder 42b which supports the can against vertical displacement byengaging the bottom of the overhanging portion of the can end seam.Adjacent the shoulder 4212, the driving wheel 42 is formed with aserrated driving surface 42c. This serrated driving surface is made upof radially extending spaced triangular projections which extendoutwardly from a conical surface. The pointed ends of the projectionsare intended to sink into the can end seam as it is forced against thedriving wheel 42 by the cutting wheel 46.

The cutting wheel 46 is generally cylindrical and mounted for rotationon the mounting screw 54 as was explained above. Spaced upwardly fromthe bottom of the cutting wheel 46 is a circular cutting edge 46a. Thecutting edge 46a is formed by two intersecting surfaces, a conicalsurface 46b extending outwardly and downwardly toward the edge 46a and asubstantially flat but slightly conical surface 460 which extendsoutwardly and upwardly toward the cutting edge 46a. As may readily beseen in FIG- URE 9, the conical surfaces 46b and 460 intersect at thecutting edge 46a, defining an acute cutting edge having an enclosedangle of slightly less than 80. Spaced below the cutting edge and abovethe bottom of the cutting wheel 46 there is an inverted conical bendingsurface 46d. FIGURE illustrates how the cutting edge 46a engages theinnermost flange of the end seam thereby severing it at the upper edgeof the cylindrical wall 77 Up until that point in the process, thebending surface 46d is ineifective. In FIGURE 11, however, it is shownhow the inclined or conical bending surface 46d engages the end seam ofthe can bending it outwardly, this outward bend giving the abuttingportions of the cover and the can a conical configuration. Without thisoutward inclination of the abutting vertical flanges on the cover 78 andthe can wall 77, it would be difiicult, if not impossible, to remove thesevered cover from the can.

Extending outwardly from the conical surface 46]; is a spacing shoulder46e which engages the top of the end seam of the can and locates thecutting edge 46a precisely with respect to the layers of material in theend seam. To achieve the optimum performance, it is necessary that thecutting edge 46:: sever only a single layer of material in the end seamand displace the portion of the seam still assembled to the can sidewall 77 a sufficient amount that the cover 78 may be readily removedtherefrom. It has been determined that this objective may best beachieved by severing the outer layer of the end seam above the top edgeof the cylindrical side wall 77. Thus, as is shown in FIGURE 10, thecutter should move across the upper folded edge of the side wall 77carrying with it the outer layer of material as it makes the cut.

While the thickness of the can material varies between .007" and .012,it has been found that the cutting edge 46a may be spaced verticallyfrom the shoulder 466 a distance of from .015" to .017" for asatisfactory severence of the outer layer of the end seam with nopenetration of the top of the cylindrical wall 77. Apparently thecutting edge 46a can slide slightly along the radius edge of wall '77without digging in.

Inasmuch as the height of the end seam from the overhanging portionwhich rests against the shoulder 42b to the top thereof variesconsiderably, means must be provided to compensate for this variationand assure tight engagement of both the driving wheel 42 and the cuttingwheel 46 against the end seam. The cutting wheel 46 is mounted forhorizontal movement but is fixed against movement in a verticaldirection. It has been mentioned above, however, that the driving wheel42 is provided with spring washers 44 which permit it to be moveddownwardly a limited amount. Inasmuch as the can end seam is initiallypositioned on the shoulder 42b of the driving wheel, means must beprovided to depress the driving wheel the necessary amount as thecutting wheel is moved horizontally toward the driving wheel. Thisdepression of the driving wheel 42 is accomplished by means of a conicalcamming surface 46] which extends outwardly and upwardly from theaforementioned spacing surface 466 As the cutting wheel 46 moves towardthe driving wheel 4-2, the top of the end seam will engage the cammingsurface 46 which biases the end seam and the driving wheel downwardly,thereby compressing the spring washers 44. The cut ting wheel 46ultimately slides over the end seam until the horizontal spacing surface46a is in engagement with the top of the end seam. This engagementdetermines the extent of the depression of the driving wheel 42 andassures a tight clamping of the end seam between the driving wheelshoulder 42!) and the cutting wheel shoulder or surface 46c.

As was mentioned above, there is almost .005" difference in thicknessbetween can materials. Inasmuch as the end seam of a can includes fivethicknesses of material, the total possible difference in thickness inthe entire end seam is .025". While this difference in thickness isaccommodated to some extent by a mere variation in the depth ofpenetration of the serrated surface 20 into the end scam, the springs 68received in the pockets ZSe of the base 23 to permit variation in theposition of the handle mounting bosses 66 and of the carrier 48 toaccommodate thicker end seams.

As the operating handle 66 is moved from the vertical position shown inFIGURE 4 to the horizontal position shown in FIGURE 7 moving the cuttingwheel 46 to the position shown in FIGURE 11, it is necessary to energizethe motor 25 so that the driving wheel 42 may rotate the cutter incontinuous engagement with the entire can seam to sever the cover 78from the can. To accomplish this function a switch 80 is mounted withinthe head 24 on the guide plate 55 by means of assembly screws 82. Toactuate the switch 80, which is connected in series with the motor 25, aswitch control lever 84- is pivotally mounted within the head 24 with anouter end 86 extending outside of the housing 21. The exposed end 86 ofthe switch control lever 84 is positioned in the same horizontal planeas the pivot for the operating lever 60 and positioned to be engaged bythe gripping portion 62 of the operating lever 60 when it is moved tothe can cutting position. As is shown in FIGURE 5, the gripping portion62 engages the exposed end 86, forcing it downwardly, and, moving theinner end of the lever 84, upwardly to actuate the switch 80. In thismanner, the motor 25 is energized'to rotate the driving wheel 42 at thesame time the cutting wheel has moved into the proper cutting positionwith respect to the end seam of the can, as is shown in FIGURE 11.

To assure that the can is properly positioned when placed in the canopener 20 for opening, a guide bar 88 is provided on the front side ofthe motor enclosing portion 23 of the housing 21. When the end seam ofthe can is placed on the upwardly facing annular shoulder 42b with theside wall of the can against the guide bar 88, the can should be at theproper height and reasonably well aligned. To give additional assuranceas to proper alignment, 2. guide rib 90 is provided Which extendsdownwardly on the overhanging portion of the head 24. cutting wheel 46which projects only slightly below the lower edge thereof.

In loading a can, the operator moves the end seam into engagement withthe guide rib 9t) and then downwardly against the annular shoulder 4217on the driving wheel. During rotation of the can, any tendency to twistfrom the vertical orientation of the can axis will be resisted by theguide rib 90. At the middle of the guide rib 90 adjacent the cuttingwheel 46, a projection 91 is mounted thereon to provide increasedstability to a can during the opening thereof. The projection 91 extendsslightly below the rib 90 :since it is intended to engage the top of thecan whole the rib 90' is intended to engage the end seam.

Immediately behind the can driving wheel 42 there is a clearance opening29a in the cover portion 29 of the housing. The clearance opening 29a isnecessary so that the base member 28 with the motor 25, reductiongearing 35, the can driving wheel 42 and cutting wheel 46 may beinserted into the cover portion 29 from the rear. To cover the opening29a and complete the assembly of the cover 29 to the base member 28, anL-shaped closure plate 92 is secured to the bearing support wall 28a asis best shown in FIGURE 4. The vertically extending portion of theclosure plate 92 extends behind the opening 29a and abuts the portion ofthe cover 29 surrounding the opening. Additional assembly screws 93extend through the portion of the cover 29 adjacent the opening 29a intothe plate 92 to assure a rigid assembly of the two housing portion 28and 29. The closure plate 92 is slotted to receive the inner ends of theguide rib 90. The forwardly extending portion of the guide rib 90 isretained in place by a pair of vertically extending bolts 94 whichextend upwardly through the bearing support wall 28a and the guide plate55 to retain all these parts in assembled relation.

There are various considerations involved in determining the extent ofthe outward bend which should be given the end seam of the can. In theembodiment of the cutter shown in FIGURES 9 through 11 the conicalbending surface 46d slopes at an angle of 30 with respect to the axis ofthe cutter 46. Such a slope produces approximately a 30 outward bend inthe end seam of the can. The necessary amount of outward bend to causethe cover flange to release itself or to break away from the side wall77 of the can is dependent on the coefiicient of friction between thesetwo surfaces. In analyzing the forces acting on the can cover, it ishelpful to compare the can structure after the end seam has been bentoutwardly to a wedge tightly received in a piece of material. The canwall retains the cover in much the same manner as the material retains awedge. The formula for expressing the self-releasing condition forwedges is well known in the field of mechanics and may be applied toillustrate the considerations involved in bending the can end seam.

In the wedge situation, it has been found that if the tangent of theangle of each wedge face to the central axis is equal to the coeflicientof friction between the wedge and the material into which it is driven,the wedge will be self-releasing. Similarly, when the end seam of thecan is bent outwardly to such an extent that the tangent of the angle'of bend is equal to coeflicient of The rib 90 extends completely aroundthe friction between the cover and the can wall, the cover will bereleased from the can. The angle between the frictionally engaging faceof the wedge and the axis of the wedge is termed the angle of friction.The similar angle in the can analogy is the angle through which the endseam has been bent; this angle may also be recited in the claims as thefriction angle. Using the handbook value of the coefficient of frictionfor mild steel against mild steel of .57, we arrive at a bend angle of30. Actually the tangent of the friction angle should slightly exceedthe coefficient of friction if the cover of the can is to be urgedupwardly. Many different materials are used in the manufacture of cansand many types of cements are employed in sealing the end seams. Whileall these factors tend to vary the coefficient of friction, it has beenfound that satisfactory cover release of all cans opened during testswas obtained using the 30 angle referred to above.

As the terms vertical and horizontal and their equivalents are used inboth the specification and the claims, it should be understood that theyare used only to provide relative orientation of the parts and notintended as limitations as to the position of use of the apparatus.These terms have been used since cans are generally open at the top in avertical position to prevent spillage of their contents. In instanceswhere such spillage does not present a problem, it is contemplated thatthe apparatus disclosed and claimed herein could be oriented in anydesired position. The term cutting means as used in the claims isintended to include both the cutting wheel and the can drive wheel asdescribed in the specification.

While there has been illustrated and described a single preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the present invention. It is aimed in theappended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the present invention. It iscontemplated, for instance, that the cutting and bending disclosed inFIGURES l0 and 11 of the drawings could be accomplished at separatestations in a machine. It is also contemplated that after severing theend seam on the inner diameter, the bending of the end seam outwardly tofacilitate removal of the can cover could be accomplished by hand.Applicants invention, therefore, encompasses both the method andapparatus for opening cans through the severance of the end seam on theinside diameter above the top of the side wall of the can and bendingthe end seam outwardly to facilitate removal of the cover.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

I. In a can opener of the type in which a can is rotated about its axisin engagement with cutting means which remains fixed after piercing thecan, the combination comprising cutting means and can driving meansmounted for relative movement normal to the can axis between a canreceiving position and a can cutting position in which the cylindricalend seam of a can is held between said cutting and driving means withsaid cutting means in piercing engagement with the inside diameter ofsaid end seam, means moving said cutting means and can driving meansapart in a direction parallel to the axis of said can to accommodate endseams of varying height, means locating said cutting means with respectto said end scam in the can cutting position so as to pierce only thecover portion of said end seam at the inside diameter thereof at a pointspaced outwardly from the base of said end seam adjacent the body of thecan, means powering said driving means to rotate said can end seam incontinuous engagement with said cutting means, and means bendingoutwardly the entire end seam including the portions on both sides ofsaid cutting means during the cutting thereof to permit removal of saidcover from said can.

2. In a can opener of the type in which the can is rotated about itsaxis is engagement with cutting means which remain fixed after piercingthe can, the combination comprising cutting means and and can drivingmeans mounted for relative movement between a can receiving position anda can cutting position in which the end seam of a can is held betweensaid cutting and driving means with said cutting means in piercingengagement with the inside diameter of said end seam at a point spacedfrom the fiat cover of the can, means locating said cutting means withrespect to the axially extending outer edge of said end scam in the cancutting position so as to pierce only the cover portion of said end seamat the inside diameter thereof, means powering said driving means torotate said can end seam in continuous engagement with said cuttingmeans, and means bending outwardly during the cutting thereof said endseam including the inner layer of material extending from said fiatcover to the point of piercing engagement to permit removal of saidcover from said can.

3. A can opener comprising a frame supporting power drive means, a drivewheel carried by said frame for rotation about its axis and driven bysaid power drive means, a shoulder on said drive wheel, a cutter wheelsupported by a carrier movable toward and away from said drive wheel, anannular cutting edge on said cutter wheel which overlies said shoulderon said drive Wheel when said cutter wheel is in a can cutting position,means for moving said carrier and said cutter wheel to said can cuttingposition in which the end seam of a can is held between said wheels withsaid cutter wheel piercing the inner diameter of said end seam at apoint spaced outwardly on the cylindrical wall of the end seam from thebody of the can, means energizing said power drive means when saidcarrier and cutter wheel are moved to the can cutting position wherebysaid drive wheel rotates said can to continuously cut the inner diameterof said end seam, and means bending outwardly said end seam includingthe cylindrical wall between the body of the can and the point ofpiercing the end seam to permit removal of the severed can cover fromsaid can.

4. A can opener comprising a frame supporting power drive means, a drivewheel carried by said frame for rotation about a vertical axis anddriven by said power drive means, an upwardly facing shoulder on saiddrive wheel, a cutter wheel supported by a carrier movable in a planenormal to the axis of said drive wheel, an annular cutting edge on saidcutter wheel which overlies said shoulder on said drive wheel when saidcutter wheel is in a can cutting position, means for moving said carrierand said cutter wheel to said can cutting position in which the end seamof a can is held between said wheels with said cutter wheel piercing theinner diameter of said end seam at a point spaced outwardly from thetransversely extending cover portion of said can, means energizing saidpower drive means when said carrier and cutter wheel are moved to thecan cutting position whereby said drive wheel rotates said can tocontinuously cut the inner diameter of said end seam, and means bendingoutwardly said end seam including the portion between the point ofcutter wheel piercing and the transversely extending cover portion ofthe can to permit removal of the severed can cover from said can.

5. A can opener comprising a frame supporting power drive means, a drivewheel carried by said frame for rotation about a vertical axis anddriven by said power drive means, said drive wheel being mounted forlimited axial movement, spring biasing means urging said drive wheelaxially to a can receiving position, an upwardly facing annular shoulderon said drive wheel with an inclined serrated portion extending upwardlyand inwardly from said shoulder, a cutter wheel supported by a carriermovable in a plane normal to the axis of said drive wheel, an annularcutting edge on said cutter wheel which overlies said shoulder on saiddrive wheel when said cutter wheel is in a can cutting position, aconical camming surface on said cutter wheel above said cutting edge, aconical seam bending surface on said cutter wheel below said cuttingedge, operating means for moving said carrier and said cutter wheel tosaid can cutting position in which the end seam of a can is grippedbetween said wheels with the lower outer edge of said seam resting onsaid upwardly facing shoulder on said drive wheel, and cooperating meanson said wheels for positioning said cutting edge for penetrating onlythe cover portion of said end seam above the outer wall portion of saidend seam said spring biasing means being deflected to provide a grippingforce on said end seam when said drive wheel is in the can cuttingposition and in engagement with the end seam of a can.

6. A can opener as set forth in claim 5 in which said conical seambending surface on said cutter wheel is positioned adjacent to saidcutting edge, said cutter in said cutting position having said conicalseam bending surface engaging said end seam to bend said end seamoutwardly to permit removal of the cover from said can.

7. A can opener comprising a frame supporting power drive means, a drivewheel carried by said frame for rotation about a vertical axis anddriven by said power drive means, said drive wheel being spring biasedupwardly and mounted for limited axial movement, a horizontal upwardlyfacing shoulder on said drive wheel with an inclined serrated portionextending upwardly and inwardly from said horizontal shoulder, a carriermovable in a plane normal to the axis of said drive wheel, a cutterwheel supported by said carrier and movable therewith, said cutter wheelhaving an annular cutting edge and conical bending shoulder positionedbelow said cutting edge, an operating handle for moving said carrier togrip the end seam of a can between said wheels with said cutter wheelengaging the inner diameter of said end seam, cooperating means on saidwheels for positioning said annular cutting edge to cut the innerdiameter of said end seam above the side wall of the can and meansenergizing said power means to rotate said drive wheel rotating said canin continuous engagement with cutter wheel whereupon said cutting edgesevers the cover portion of said end seam above the side wall of the canand said bending shoulder engages said end seam below said cutting edgeand bends said end seam outwardly to permit removal of the severedcover.

8. A can opener comprising a frame supporting power drive means, a drivewheel carried by said frame for rotation about its axis and driven bysaid power drive means, said drive Wheel having a serrated portion fordriving engagement with the end seam of a can, a carrier movable towardand away from said drive wheel, a cutter wheel supported by said carrierand movable therewith, an annular cutting edge on said cutter wheelwhich overlies said drive wheel when said cutter wheel is in a cancutting position, operating means for moving said carrier and saidcutter wheel to said can cutting position in which the end seam of a canis gripped between said wheels with the lower outer edge of said seamresting on said drive wheel and with said cutting edge penetrating onlythe cover portion of said end seam above the outer wall portion of saidend seam said wheels having opposed annular shoulders normal to the axisof said wheel for receiving said end seam therebetween, the annularshoulder on said cutter wheel locating said cutting edge accuratelyabove the outer wall portion.

9. In a can opener the combination comprising a housing, can cuttingmeans and can rotating means mounted on an extending from said housingfor engagement with a can to be opened, said can cutting means extendingdownwardly for engagement with the inside diameter of the end seam ofsaid can and being rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of saidcan, a carrier for causing horizontal relative movement of said cuttingand rotating means together to grip the end seam of a can therebetweenand to pierce the inside diameter of the end seam, a U-shaped handlelever having the free ends of the legs pivoted adjacent the rear wall ofsaid housing on opposite sides thereof, said legs being pivotedrearwardly of said can cutting means and said can rotating means, meansconnecting said handle ends to the carrier whereby rotation of saidhandle from a vertical position to a horizontal position moves saidcutting and rotating means together, said U-shaped lever extendingaround the front of said housing in the horizontal position and beingclosely spaced thereto, and a motor drivingly connected to said canrotating means to rotate said can with said cutting means in piercingengagement with said end seam whereby said cover i-s severed from saidcan.

10. The can opener of claim 9 wherein said housing encloses said motor,switch means for said motor having a control lever extending through anopening in said housing and operable by said handle lever when moved tothe horizontal position.

11. A can opener comprising a housing including a vertically extendingmotor enclosing portion and head mounted at the upper end thereof andhaving an overhanging portion, cutting means extending downwardly fromsaid overhanging portion for engagement with the inside diameter of theend seam of a can being opened, said cutting means being rotatable aboutan axis parallel to the axis of said can and movable horizontally intopiercing engagement with said end seam, a motor mounted in said motorenclosing portion and drivingly connected to said cutting means, switchmeans in said head for controlling said motor and having a controlmember extending outside of said head, and a bail type operating handleconnected to said cutting means and being pivoted on opposite walls ofsaid head adjacent the side rearward of and remote from said overhangingposition, said bail being movable from a vertical position in which saidcutting means may receive a can to be opened to a horizontal position inwhich said cutting means pierces said can, said handle in the horizontalposition engaging said switch control member to start said motor therebyrotating said can.

12. A can opener comprising a housing including a base member and acover portion, said base member having a vertically extend-ing motorsupport-ing portion and a gear support wall extending horizontally fromthe upper end thereof, reduction gearing carried by said support wall, amotor mounted on said motor support portion with an armature shaftdrivingly engaging said reduction gearing, a serrated can driving wheelconnected to said reduction gearing and positioned below said supportwall for engagement with the end seam of a can to rotate the canrelative to the opener, a U-shaped operating handle having inwardlydirected mounting bosses journaled for rotation about a horizontal axisin pockets formed in said support wall, a carrier slidably received onsaid support wall with a cutter mounted thereon extending 'below saidsupport wall into close proximity with said driving wheel for engagementwith the inside diameter of the end seam of a can to sever the cover inthe end seam, and eccentric pins on said handle bosses engagingvertically slidable blocks on said carrier to move said cutterhorizontally toward and away from said driving wheel in response torotation of said handle.

13. The can opener of claim 12 wherein said can driving wheel is mountedfor limited vertical movement and spring means urging said wheelupwardly, said spring means urging said cutter and can driving wheelinto gripping engagement with the end seam of a can.

14. The can opener of claim 12 wherein said handle bosses are journaledin said pockets by spring biased pads which urge said handle bosses andthe carrier connected therewith in a direction to move said cuttertoward said driving wheel, the springs associated with said pads beingcompressed during the cutting of the can end seam.

15, In a can opener having means for supporting and rotating a can abouta fixed axis in a cutting position, the improvement comprising a cutter,means for moving said cutter into piercing engagement with the innerdiameter of the end seam of the can at a point spaced above the flatcover of said can, and bending means cooperating with said supportingand rotating means and operated by the cutter moving means to bendoutwardly said end seam including the portion below the point ofpiercing engagement to an angle sufficiently large so that the severedcover will be self-releasing.

16. In a can opener having means for supporting and rotating a can abouta fixed axis in a cutting position, the improvement comprising a cutter,means for moving said cutter into piercing engagement with the innerdiameter of the end seam of the can at a point spaced above the fiatcover of said can during the rotation of the can whereby a continuouscut is made on the inner diameter of the end seam, bend-ing meanscooperating with said supporting and rotating means and operable withthe cutter moving means for bending outwardly said end seam includingthe portion below the point of piercing engagement to an angle exceedingthe angle of friction between cover and can body so that the sever-edcover will be released, said bending means including cooperatingportions of said cutter which rotate in bending engagement with said endseam and continuously bend the entire periphery of the cover as the canis moved through one complete rotation.

17. A can opener for cutting and displacing the end seam of a can of thetype having a cover with a transversely extending cover portion and aperipherally disposed axially extending flange portion nested snuglyWithin one end of a can with said flange portion disposed outwardly ofsaid cover portion, said can and cover being sealed by a lock seam atsaid one end, the improvement comprising a cutter, means for supportingsaid can and producing relative rotation about the axis of the canbetween said can and said cutter, means for moving said cutter laterallyinto piercing engagement with the inside of said axially extendingflange portion at a point spaced from the transversely extending coverportion, bending means cooperating with said means for supporting andproducing relative rotation for flaring outwardly said flange includingthe portion extending from the cover portion to the point of piercingengagement and the nested portion of said can, the relative rotation ofsaid can with respect to said cutter and bending means causing saidflange to be cut continuously and said flange and the nested portion ofsaid can to be flared around the entire periphery of said can andflanged cover to permit ready removal from the can of the severed coverwith a flared portion of said flange attached thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,360,256 11/20Anderson 30-15.5 1,405,066 1/22 Nicolai 30-4 1,795,478 3/31 Davis30-15.5 1,932,563 10/33 Thewes 30-347 1,935,680 11/33 Von Wolfors-dorf30-15.5 1,986,657 1/35 West 30-9 2,196,182 4/40 Arnesen 153-2 2,532,89812/50 Drugman 30-4 2,556,766 6/51 Mathieu 3015.5 2,728,983 1/56 Mugavero30-4 2,825,963 3/58 Sykes et a1 30-4 2,886,887 5/59 Krist et al. 30-42,948,954 8/60 Ramsa 29-1555 3,006,070 10/61 Nordquist 30-4 3,057,05910/ 62 La Forte 30-4 3,078,568 L2/63 McLean et al 30-4 3,078,573 2/63Kern 30-347 3,094,776 6/63 Smith 30-15.5

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

17. A CAN OPENER FOR CUTTING AND DISPLACING THE END SEAM OF A CAN OF THETYPE HAVING A COVER WITH A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING COVER PORTION AND APERIPHERALLY DISPOSED AXIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE PORTION NESTED SNUGLYWITHIN ONE END OF A CAN WITH SAID FLANGE PORTION DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OFSAID COVER PORTION, SAID CAN AND COVER BEING SEALED BY A LOCK SEAM ATSAID ONE END, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CUTTER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTINGSAID CAN AND PRODUCING RELATIVE ROTATION ABOUT THE QXIS OF THE CANBETWEEN SAID CAN AND SAID CUTTER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CUTTER LATERALLYINTO PIERCING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INSIDE OF SAID AXIALLY EXTENDINGFLANGE PORTION AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING COVERPORTION, BENDING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID MEANS FOR SUPPORTING ANDPRODUCING RELATIVE ROTATION FOR FLARING OUTWARDLY SAID FLANGE INCLUDINGTHE PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE COVER PORTION TO THE POINT OF PIERCINGENGAGEMENT AND THE NESTED PORTION OF SAID CAN, THE RELATIVE ROTATION OFSAID CAN WITH RESPECT TO SAID CUTTER AND BENDING MEANS CAUSING SAIDFLANGE TO BE CUT CONTINUOUSLY AND SAID FLANGE AND THE NESTED PORTION OFSAID CAN TO BE FLARED AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY OF SAID CAN ANDFLANGED COVER TO PERMIT READY REMOVAL FROM THE CAN OF THE SEVERED COVERWITH A FLARED PORTION OF SAID FLANGE ATTACHED THERETO.